Kahuku, Oʻahu

This portion of the Kahuku shoreline is located on the northeast coast of Oʻahu between Kalaeuila  and Kaʻohana Point. The shoreline is composed mostly of exposed limestone shelf with ‘perched’  calcareous sand beach above the high-water line. Several beaches (transects 0 – 23) are found in  small bays between limestone headlands. The area is exposed to north and refracted  northwesterly swells during winter months and easterly trade wind waves throughout the year. 

The beaches have experienced low erosion rates (-0.3 ft/yr) since 1928, with limestone outcrops  stabilizing the position of the shoreline. This low-lying coastal plain at the northern tip of Oʻahu  is prone to inundation by tsunami as was experienced during the famous 1946 tsunami, which  traveled more than 1,200 feet inland across Kahuku Airfield. 

Last updated: July 2021

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